Telescope Reviews: Re: 114gt mount

I purchased a N114GT from Costco and the Baader adapter from Alpine Astro (Bob Luffel is GREAT to work with!) to use as a travel mount for my TV-76 - $160US on special two weeks ago + $82 for the adapter. I received the scope this week and set about testing it. The N114 itself is actually not too bad considering the price. I did a rough alignment with it on the first night and got in about 30 minutes worth of Mars viewing before the clouds rolled in - polar cap and surface coloration with the 10mm EP and a 2x barlow. The mount isn't anywhere near as accurate at tracking as my CG-5, but for visual use it's not too bad - again, consider the price. The Baader adapter went on easily and I mounted the TV-76 (lighter than your 102) on it and played around a little. The mount doesn't seem to have a problem with the weight. Have not had it outside at night to test with this scope - maybe tonight. I did find that the factory adjustment of the alt and az tensions were too tight. Much less motor & gear noise once properly adjusted. I can confirm the A-F stars only on the two-star align feature. The auto align appears to work fine with all stars, however. The tripod is absolutely abominal - but it is easily transported and works ok if there's no wind and you have it set on solid ground. The go-to ability is pretty good - even with rough alignment I slewed to Mars and got it in the field of view with a 25mm EP on the 114GT. As a go-to travel mount at this price, I'm satisfied with it. I can even control it with my IPAQ and The Sky - Pocket Edition!

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John Moore
Corydon Ridge Observatory

My CN Gallery

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